The invention relates to a device for the releasable coupling of an optical fiber to an optoelectronic component provided with a support.
The coupling of optical fibers to optoelectronic components--as, for example, to transmitting or receiving components such as light-emitting diodes, PIN diodes or phototransistors--should be releasable. The same applies in many cases to the coupling of an optical fiber to another optical fiber. In the following description, therefore, the term "optoelectronic component" is intended to include also another optical fiber.
When coupling optical fibers to optoelectronic components, it is necessary to provide a connection for either a single fiber or group of fibers (light conductors) arranged in a bundle. In the following description, therefore, the term "optical fiber" is intended to include both single fibers (conductors) and multiple (bundled) fibers (conductors).
Heretofore the coupling of optical fibers to optoelectronic components has been effected by means of plug-to-plug connections. Such connections have proven satisfactory in practice especially since, as a rule, only a relatively few connections must be made at any point of an installation.
Plug-to-plug connections are not satisfactory, however, when optical fibers with a very large number of conductors are used as is the case, for example, in the construction of power plant applications and at switching nodes of a telecommunication system. This is attributable to the fact that plug/plug connections require substantial space and the time spent for installation is considerable. The large space requirement is incompatible with the trend toward miniaturization of the respective electronic system, and the time spent increases in proportion to the number of conductors in an optical fiber.